Saturday, March 12, 2011

Tokyo, March 12, 2011 - Filipino-American stage actress Jennifer Paz, "American Idol" Season 4 finalist Anthony Fedorov, and the rest of the cast and crew of Broadway Asia's touring production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" had to spend the night at their hotel lobby after a massive earthquake hit Japan Friday afternoon.

Performances set Friday night through Monday have been cancelled. The Tokyo International Forum, which serves as performance venue, has been transformed into an emergency evacuation center.

"We had a crazy day. We went to see 'Beauty and the Beast' in Japanese. And right before the end of Act One, the entire theater started shaking because we started to experience an 8.9 earthquake. They kept everybody outside. We're back in the hotel now. Everybody's safe. Everybody's OK," said Fedorov, who plays Joseph in the touring production.

The 8.9-magnitude earthquake, which struck about 250 miles northeast of Tokyo, is the fifth biggest earthquake in history according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It triggered a seven-meter tsunami and more than 50 aftershocks yesterday. At least 350 people are dead, and 500 people are missing.

"Aftershocks were felt for the next hour or so while hundreds calmly gathered in the streets, watching the news on giant screens at subways. Aftershocks were even nonstop through the night, and all day today. Subways and trains were completely gridlocked. Stranded commuters wandered the streets, and sought shelter in subways, restaurants, and hotel lobbies," said Paz, who plays the show's narrator. "The earthquake's epicenter is 230 miles north of us. We're all relatively safe, but we're a bit shaken up. Please continue praying for the families and tourists in Japan."

"This entire experience has been a life-changing experience for us. I strongly urge you to donate if you can. Help this country out because right now they need us; they need everybody in the world to lend a helping hand," added Fedorov.

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the Tokyo International Forum had been slated to run from March 3-14.